Meetings and events

Find out about tenant meetings local to you and events of interest to private tenants.

Open House: space to tackle the housing crisis - 12-19 May

Open House is a eight-day space (12th – 19th May) in Elephant & Castle<http://openhouse2013.com/find-us/>
that will bring together people facing the housing crisis across London to organise and take action around
collective housing needs. Whether you’re a council tenant facing the bedroom tax or a squatter threatened
with eviction, a private renter dealing with a dodgy landlord or a memberof a housing co-op fighting to survive –
this space is for you.Posted 12th May 2013
Let Down Campaign events

Workshop for Hackney renters to learn more about their rights on 22nd September

The event is being organised by Digs. Digs are a group of Hackney renters who have come together to campaign
for a better deal for people renting locally. We’re a private tenant information and support group, run by
Hackney renters, for Hackney renters.

The first Harrow private rented sector tenants forum will take place on June 28th at the Harrow Civic Centre at 6pm.

NPTO executive member and Harrow resident Richard Harrod has worked with Council officers to try and establish a Harrow
Private Tenants Rights Group. Richard says"20% of all households in the borough are in the private rented sector. It is about
time private tenants have a voice. We have to pay high rents and in return get a poor repairs service and lack of security of tenure.
The private rented sector is growing in numbers and importance in the housing market".

This meeting will give valuable information and advice on tenancies, housing benefit and disrepair. It will also launch the
Harrow Private Tenants Rights Group.

On Saturday May 26th around 35 Haringey residents met up at Wood Green Library to discuss the need for affordable
housing for all residents, and the need for all private landlords to bring rents down to affordable levels. The meeting was
addressed by Bob Taylor of the National Private Tenants Organisation.

At the end of the event, 10 of the private tenants present met up and agreed to start a private tenants action group
– to support each other and campaign for affordable housing. The new group will be further discussed/launched
at a follow-up meeting on Saturday 9th June – 11am, North London Community House, 22 Moorefield Road, N17.
All private tenants, and those wishing to support them, are urged to attend.
(See: http://www.hapsnews.net/private-tenants-agree-to-launch-haringey-action-group-all-welcome-sat-9th-june/)
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Organisation of Private Tenants (Scarborough)

Private tenants in Scarborough (North Yorkshire) and supporters are invited to attend monthly meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of
each month at 7.30pm at the Tap and Spile pub, 94 Falsgrave Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 5AZ.

Please email scaropt@yahoo.co.uk or ring 07544 035752 for further information. Visit the their website at www.scarptrg.btck.co.uk
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The group aims to support tenants and provide them with vital information and a platform to share ideas. The group will also
campaign against rogue landlords and for better housing rights for private tenants.

Katy, a private tenant who is chairperson of the new group, said: “I have been a home owner, a housing association tenant and now I am a private tenant. I really understand what problems can affect the lives of private renters, and I want a group that will help to support them. “With more and more people being forced to rent privately, I am concerned about the vulnerable position that some tenants can find themselves in. We want this group to give private renters in Tameside and Greater Manchester a voice.”

There will be a meeting for London private tenants on Thursday 24th May at 7pm at Centre, Charles Square, London, N1 6HT (nearest tube: Old Street).
Email housingforthe99@gmail.com for more information.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Housing Benefit Poverty Hearing, Main Hall at Bristol Council House on
Friday 18th May 2012 from 7.30 - 9.30pm

The above event is being organised by Bristol Poverty Action, which includes representatives of Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau,
the Advice Network, CHAS (Bristol) and Redland Quaker Meeting. NPTO encourages private tenants in Bristol to attend. If you
would like to attend please contact: June Burrough, The Pierian Centre, Tel: 0117 9244512.

The organiser has told NPTO: "The aim of the Hearing is to raise awareness of the suffering caused by the Housing Benefit cuts
and to consider ways of helping people in urgent housing need. This is a chance to by-pass the rhetoric and to hear about the
impact of the Housing Benefit cuts directly from the people affected. You will also have an opportunity to contribute practical ideas
about how the situation can be addressed.

Bristol is facing an epidemic of homelessness. As a result of current Housing Benefit cuts, about 7,500 private rented homes
in the city will no longer be available to benefit claimants. Around 6,500 private tenants will face a typical reduction of £15 to £25 per
week in their benefit, while a further 900 single people under age 35 will lose on average £40 per week. The Chartered Institute of
Housing says these cuts could cause a mass migration of people living in poverty from the south to the north of England.

The main speakers at this event will be five or six Housing Benefit claimants, who will each talk for up to five minutes about their
personal experience of the Housing Benefit cuts and how this is affecting their lives. We will then invite the audience to discuss what
can be done to help people who are at risk of losing their tenancy or cannot find anywhere to live.

The Hearing will be chaired by June Burrough and the audience will be seated at round tables to encourage discussion and
networking. We will be inviting MPs, local councillors, business leaders, employers, landlords, civil servants, advice workers, housing organisations, charitable trusts, the media and the public. We hope that the Hearing will provide an opportunity for people to begin
working together on ways to alleviate homelessness in Bristol e.g. special initiatives to help young single people at risk of
homelessness or to bring empty property back into use". -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Housing for the 99%' meeting on Sunday 13th May A meeting has been called by London private tenants, calling for 'Housing for the 99%'in response to greedy landlords, high rents
and benefit caps. The organisers have said to NPTO that "Millions of of private tenants are being ripped off, paying extortionate
rents for insecure and poor quality housing".

The meeting will take place on Sunday 13th May at 11am at The Grayston Centre, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT (nearest tube:
Old Street). The format of the meeting will be:

11am: introductions and discussion: what problems do private tenants face, and what could the solutions be?
1pm: lunch - please bring some food to share
2pm onwards: action planning
4pm expected end of meeting

If you would like to attend or would like further information please email: housingforthe99@gmail.com Please let the organisers know if you have any special requirements.

The organisers went on to say: "It's time to stand up to greedy landlords and a government that blames it on the poorest and demand decent, secure and genuinely affordable housing for all of us".

NPTO supports the event and encourages private tenants and supporters to attend.
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Blackpool Private Tenants Forum Information Day 27th April 2012

Blackpool Residents Federation and its affilliated group the Blackpool Private Tenants Forum held their fourth "private tenants" information days on Friday the 27th of April in the newly refurbished Floral Hall of the Winter Gardens. To read a report on the
day and to view pictures click here.